


Reverse Banishment

by AvinRyd



Category: Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai
Genre: Angst, F/M, Memory Loss, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-06 00:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6729607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvinRyd/pseuds/AvinRyd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rikka's thoughts were interrupted by the Priestess herself, voice louder than ever.</p><p>"Seriously Rikka, you've got to get up. It won't be good if you're late for your first day of high school tomorrow, just because you took a nap."</p><p>Cautiously, Rikka sat up. She'd been lying in an awkward position on her bed, legs curled under her like she'd collapsed from standing. But she had, hadn't she? Yes, there'd been the Reverse Banishment, and the Time Stop and-</p><p>"Yuuta!"</p><p>--</p><p>A prequel to Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reverse Banishment

_"By the power of the Dark Flame, Time, I command thee. Freeze!"_

With the harsh 'Chink' of metal striking stone it all stopped. The crashing sounds of destruction were silenced. The floor ceased its juttering mid roll. Even the dust in air froze in its mad swirling. The world of the Ethereal Horizon was silent, save for the harsh pants of the two beings inside the red magic circle.

"You okay?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine. What did you do?"

"Time Stop. It's only temporary, but we need to figure out what to do."

The Dark Flame Master was on his knees, leaning heavily on his sword, breath coming in short, harsh pants. Collapsed next to him, Rikka of the Wicked Eye looked around at the frozen world, scarlet and sea-green eyes bright with worry.

"How long do we have?" The girl whispered, afraid the slightest noise might break the spell.

"Ten minutes, at best. Is everyone safely out?"

"No. The door to this realm sealed on our victory. The Overseers and the Priestess seem to have escaped through some other means, but we couldn't find it. You, I, Dekomori, Mori Summer and- and my father are all trapped..."

The boy nodded wearily, seeming to be deep in thought.

"How is your wound?" Rikka interrupted his contemplation, reaching to place a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged tightly, hissing in pain at the movement, curling into himself to hide the dark stain on the front of his coat.

"I'll be fine. We need to get everyone out of this place."

"How? Neither the Dark Flames or the Wicked Eye have the strength to-" She broke off, a horrified gasp cutting over her words. 

"I guess we've come to the same conclusion, then." The Dark Flame Master tried to sound unconcerned, but was betrayed by a pained gasp. "It's the only way-"

"But, you'll-"

"There's no guarantee I'll die, so stop that right now. It's the only way, Rikka."

"No!" The girl's shrill cry echoed in the still air. Her desperation spiraled around them like a typhoon. "There's g-got to be something else..."

Grasping his sword firmly in one hand, the warrior turned to face the girl, cupping her face in his free hand. 

"It will be okay, Rikka. Trust me."

"B-but... Dark Flame Master, what if-"

"Yuuta."

Rikka blinked. "What?"

"My name. Before all this happened, before I became the Dark Flame Master, my name was Togashi Yuuta." His green eyes locked on her mismatched ones and held her gaze.

"Yuuta..."

He smiled then. "After the transfer, I can hold this spell for a while longer on just willpower. Use that time to send us back. Go as quick as you can; it might not work after the Time Stop fades."

With that, Yuuta began to murmur an incantation, his voice barely audible.

_"Oh power of the Dark Flame that has served me so well, bind yourself to the Wicked Eye in a contract of ultimate power. Serve the master of the Wicked Eye as you have me. By my power, I command thee, go."_

Then he kissed her brow. Rikka gasped as raw power flowed from his touch into her cursed eye. The energy burned her iris and mixed with the red of her own magic, turning the color a bright, shining gold. In the same instant, Yuuta's body went stiff against her, his breath coming short.

"Yuuta-!"

"Go, Rikka. Use the spell." He coughed, splattering the stones around with speckles of rust-colored liquid.

"But it's only a theory. No one's ever- What if-"

"Never mind those! It's that or we all die. Please..."

Slowly, Rikka nodded and stood on shaky legs. Letting her body relax, she channeled all her power into the Wicked Eye. All around, things were starting to move, to shift, to break, but she ignored them. The world now was only her and Yuuta, the two who would save the universe.

_"By the power of the Wicked Eye and the Dark Flame both-"_

Under her incantation, Rikka could hear Yuuta murmuring something. She tried to make out his words even as she chanted her own.

"Rikka..."

_"-In keeping of the laws of magic in this and all realms-"_

"..I..."

_"-I reverse the spell of transferal-"_

"...I..love...."

_"-Banishment This-"_

"I love you..."

_"-World!"_

For one terrible moment, Rikka was sure it hadn't worked, for the world was once again moving and there were bricks and stone crashing to the earth all around. That moment ended, though, and once again, silence reigned.

-~*~-

"-kka. Rikka! Come on, if you sleep now, you'll never sleep tonight."

Rikka shot awake, mismatched eyes wide with fear. How was the Priestess here? Hadn't they defeated her? But there she was, red eyes glowing with- Wait, no, they were just normal red eyes. What had happened? Where was the magic? How had-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Priestess herself, voice louder than ever.

"Seriously Rikka, you've got to get up. It won't be good if you're late for your first day of high school tomorrow, just because you took a nap."

Cautiously, Rikka sat up. She'd been lying in an awkward position on her bed, legs curled under her like she'd collapsed from standing. But she had, hadn't she? Yes, there'd been the Reverse Banishment, and the Time Stop and-

"Yuuta!"

The Priestess gave Rikka a strange look. Oh no, she'd accidentally given out the true name of her greatest ally and-

"What are you talking about? Did you have a weird dream or something?"

Good, she hadn't noticed. Still safe, for now. Though, for good measure, just to throw her completely off...

"Of course. Do you think I could have normal dreams in the presence of your evil sorcery?"

Instead of the snappy retort Rikka was used to, the woman in front of her just gave a blank look, then sighed, resigned.

"And here I was hoping high school would scare the syndrome out. Guess not. Anyway, dinner's on the table if you're hungry. And don't go back to sleep!"

Then she was gone. Rikka stared after her. What did she mean, syndrome? And why was she talking like such a...normal person? Confusedly, and very cautiously,  Rikka made her way into the kitchen to eat and observe.

-~*~-

After dinner, Rikka holed herself up in her room once again, trying to figure out what on earth had happened. She was just starting to make sense of things when an impossibly familiar voice sounded from the floor below her feet.

It was Yuuta.

Still dressed in her fighting attire, the girl searched frantically for a rope. All she had to do was lower herself from the balcony  She caught her reflection on her way past the window. The Wicked Eye, now golden with hers and Yuuta's combined power, stared back. She'd have to cover it, or risk accidentally forming a contract with any old person; it was so powerful now.

Medical bandage in place, Rikka tied her rope off and tossed it down. Quietly, so as not to disturb the Priestess, she lowered herself to the balcony below, but it was no good. She was too short to reach the rail. Flailing her feet desperately  she made contact with something soft and a muffled yelp came in reply. Oops... Well, whoever she'd kicked, they were kind enough to give her some help down. Looking to see who it was, Rikka found her one eye gazing into Yuuta's two emerald ones.

She was surprised and more than a little scared to see the unguarded surprise in those eyes. Hadn't they just seen each other? Well, she could jog his memory easily enough. Keeping her face as expressionless as possible, (strong emotions could ruin the telepathic signal), she sent a burst of memory to him.

"Did you see?"

Yuuta shook his head, seeming baffled and... embarrassed? What was this confusion? Why didn't he remember? Maybe...

"Do you want to?"

The look of befuddlement stayed firmly in place on the boy's face. Something was definitely wrong. She could feel it in the cold wind that whipped past them. The real Yuuta, the Dark Flame Master, would never let his confusion win like this. He wouldn't! Terrified and lost, Rikka let herself slide farther down the rope to the ground. She had to get away, to run, to think...

-~*~-

It wasn't until months later, while she was studying Dekomori's copy of "Mabinogion", that Rikka began to understand.

The Reverse Banishment was just a theoretical spell to begin with. No one had ever tested it, for no one had ever needed to flee from the realm of the Ethereal Horizon in such a manner. As such, the dangers were never found, until Rikka's desperate use.

Like all magic, the Reverse Banishment came with a price. One more terrible than anyone could have imagined. Most sorcerers believe that the Banishment spell is a free-of-charge piece of magic. This is a lie. Whenever a Banishment incantation is uttered, it adds to the price of the Reverse Banishment. When Rikka cast the Reverse Banishment, the price of all her previous castings of its opposite were heaped upon her.

The spell was meant to take what was most precious to her. However, at the time, Rikka's unconscious mind was unsure of what exactly occupied that position. Sensing this, the spell merely took part of everything that was jockeying for the spot. It took a small piece of each of Rikka's closest friends, a piece of her reality, and the two people she held most dear.

No matter what else this year might throw, Rikka was quite sure her heart couldn't break into any more pieces.

**Author's Note:**

> An old piece from when I watched Chuunibyou a few years ago. It was inspired by a fan artwork that, unfortunately, I can no longer locate. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Find me on tumblr @themodethecitythesoul for more shenanigans.


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